Actor and TV host, Ozzy Agu, speaks on his experience in a recent interview with punchng....
When he was a Senior Secondary School student at El-Amin
International School, Minna, Niger State, Ozzy Agu once had
an experience that convinced him that he was likely to end up
in show business.
During a social event, he had to mime Heavy D’s Baby, Don’t
be Afraid , alongside a couple of friends. So successful was
the performance that the group was practically crowned by
their fellow students.
“We rehearsed very well and we got all the moves right. The
girls went crazy and we were kings for a week,” he recalls.
Agu has never lost the track since then. Apart from making
waves in TV dramas, he also engages in broadcasting,
especially on 53Extra , a fashion and lifestyle show on DSTV,
which he co-hosts. He says an interplay of acting and hosting
is giving his talent the drive he loves.
Agu says, “Acting gives me the opportunity to encounter a
variety of characters to play, but it can be very challenging
playing dark characters. Hosting, on the other hand, lends
itself more to an enjoyable experience with the audience. I’ve
never had to cry or shoot anyone as host, and for that I’m
grateful.”
The actor, who studied Business Administration at the Mercer
University, Georgia, and later attended the American Academy
of Dramatic Arts in New York, both in the US, notes that one
thing he has learnt on the job is that no two audiences are
the same and that no show really goes according to plan. As
a result, he adds, he stays open and flexible, while anticipating
what he calls the unanticipated.
Does he have role models? He says, “Choosing role models is
a tricky thing. The thing with role models is that there is the
tendency to start imitating them. There is a saying that
imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, yes. But this can
also backfire and become the beginning of the end of your
authentic self. I admire different players in the industry for
their different skills.
“There aren’t many male presenters on TV but from what I’ve
seen, those I call ‘the Magic Four’ are great to watch. Who
are these? They are I.K Osakidiowa, Uti Nwachukwu,
ILLRhymes, and myself, of course. I believe we have very
unique styles.”
Agu loves reading and says one of his dreams is to be able to
interpret characters in more compelling ways.
